E-Paper
MVA withdraws Maharashtra bandh call after Bombay high court ruling
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress had called for a bandh on Saturday, August 24.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday appealed for the withdrawal of Saturday's Maharashtra bandh in view of a Bombay high court ruling.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, of which NCP(SP) is a member, initially called for a statewide bandh to protest against sexual assault on two four-year-old girls in a school in Badlapur and pressure the government for swift action.
However, the Bombay high court intervened on Friday and restrained all political parties and individuals from supporting or participating in the bandh. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the Maharashtra government shall take all necessary steps to prevent a bandh.
“In the wake of the Badlapur incident, a statewide public shutdown was called for tomorrow…This was an attempt to draw the government's attention to this matter,” Pawar posted on X in Marathi.
“However Bombay High Court has ruled that the bandh is unconstitutional. Due to time constraint it is not possible to appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court order (on bandh). The Indian judiciary is a constitutional body and in respect of the order given, the bandh call should be withdrawn,” he added.
Congress also withdrew the call for bandh, with state unit chief Nana Patole saying party workers will stage protests across Maharashtra from 11 am to 12 noon on Saturday.
“Honouring Bombay High Court judgement, all Congress leaders will protest in all Maharashtra district headquarters with black bands on their face/mouth from 11 AM to 12 noon against the cases of sexual harassment against women and failure of Maharashtra govt to prevent that. I will be part of the protest in Thane district,” Patole said.
While Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed disagreement with the ruling, he said “we respect the court”.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde termed the Bombay High Court's order a "slap" for the Opposition, and said the government will implement the directive.
Speaking at a gathering in Nashik to launch the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme, Shinde said the Badlapur incident was a "blot on humanity."
"It also impacted the happiness we derived from transferring ₹1500 in accounts of beneficiary women under the Laadki Bahin scheme. But, the Opposition has been politicising the incident and maligning this scheme," he said. The high court's order was "a slap across the Opposition's face", Shinde said, adding that his government will implement the directive.
